NWU Type III Wear Rules and Distribution Plan Announced

Washington, DC - The Navy announced Thursday in NAVADMIN 214/17 the wear rules and Fleet distribution plan for the Navy Working Uniform (NWU) Type III along with a list of approved boots Sailors can wear with the uniform.

Additionally, the Navy also announced that 350 Sailors assigned to afloat units and shore installations are taking part in a three-month boot wear test to identify a replacement for the current NWU boot that is issued to Sailors. The completion of the boot study is expected by the end of this year.

The 24-month Fleet fielding plan for the NWU Type III begins Oct. 1, 2017, and ends Sept. 30, 2019. However, the uniform is now available for purchase in Navy Exchange Uniform Centers at Newport, Rhode Island; Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; and at Navy installations in Europe, Africa and Southwest Asia.

Enlisted Sailors' clothing replacement allowances will increase beginning Oct. 1, 2017, and continue to expand in fiscal years 2018 and 2019. By law, commissioned officers are entitled to a one-time uniform stipend ($400) paid at the beginning of their careers.

Last year, the Navy announced the transition to the NWU Type III from the NWU Type I as the Navy's primary working uniform. Sailors can wear either the NWU Type I or NWU Type III until Sept. 30, 2019, at the discretion of the unit commander or commanding officer (CO). The NWU Type III becomes the Navy's primary shore working uniform Oct. 1, 2019.

The NWU Type III is intended for wear ashore, in port and in environments that do not require special clothing (e.g., at sea, forward deployed during combat operations, areas requiring flame resistant uniforms) and when authorized as the uniform of the day. The NWU Type III may also be worn at sea for special events at the discretion of the CO.